Alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, in a video played during his trial in an Ikeja High Court, on Friday, said “from a short distance, I can estimate the financial value of his victims.”
One of the popular news online base in Lagos reports that the video was played in the courtroom during the cross-examination of the Investigating Police Officer Inspector Idowu Haruna by Mr Emmanuel Ochai, the defence counsel to Victor Aduba, one of Evans’ co-defendants.
In the video, the alleged kidnap kingpin sat on a sofa and confessed to Haruna about various kidnappings he masterminded.
He gave the details of his alleged victims, who mostly paid ransoms in six-figure foreign currencies with the exception of two alleged victims who paid ransoms of $1million and $2.3million each.
In the video, Haruna, who is also a member of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team, asked Evans how he mapped out strategies to kidnap his alleged victims. Evans while smiling, replied, “when you see someone that has money you will know.”
Evans, in the video, told the IPO that he knew that the individuals he and his alleged gang members kidnapped will pay the ransoms even if it involving selling their property to raise the funds.
Evans explained that through a contact, who was in prison, he was able to procure arms for his kidnap operations.
He said in the video that a pharmaceutical boss, Mr Donatius Dunu, who had already paid a ransom of 223,000 Euros had not finished paying the ransom in full before escaping and alerting the police.
Evans said Aduba, who is a dismissed Army Officer, accompanies him during kidnap operations, noting that Aduba was involved in the botched kidnap attempt of Chief Vincent Obianodo, the Chairman of The Young Shall Grow Motors.
He, however, admitted in the video that Aduba did not participate in the kidnap of Dunu.
After the video was played, Ochai told Haruna that Evans never identified Aduba (sixth defendant) as a participant in the kidnap of Dunu.
Responding, Idowu said, “According to information the victim (Dunu) gave to police, kidnappers that came to abduct him were in army camouflage.
“This collaborated the information provided by the kidnap kingpin that most of the kidnapping he carried out were with the participation of the sixth defendant and that the sixth defendant did not participate in the kidnap of Dunu.”
Following the cross-examination of Haruna, the prosecution closed its case against Evans and his five codefendants.
Another online news in Lagos reports that Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba over the alleged kidnap of Dunu who is the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Ltd.
The six defendants were arraigned on August 30, 2017 on two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping.
According to the prosecution, they allegedly kidnapped Dunu along Ilupeju Road, Lagos on February 14, 2017 and collected 223,000 Euros (N100 million) as ransom from his family.
Four witnesses including Dunu had testified during the trial on behalf of the state.
